Fallen Flags, The Classic American RailroadFallen Flags, a name all too common now describing American railroads (just a bittersweet fact of the free market at work), is a term describing those railroads whose corporate name has been dissolved either through merger, bankruptcy, or liquidation. At one time in the United States there were nearly 140 Class I railroads (or those with at least $1 million annual operating revenue at that time) and today these are commonly known as the fallen flags or “classic” railroads. The older folks reading this can remember almost all of these in person, from the legendary Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway with its famous Warbonnet paint scheme to the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad and this country’s first common carrier, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
Much of this "bonding" came from the fact that railroads during those days operated in a particular region or part of the country where folks could easily recognize the railroad which ran through their town (and to some extent, railroads back then used to be a bit more cordial than today), and not the entire eastern or western half of the country like we see today (for instance, some small towns boasted four to five Class Is at one time!). It should be noted however, that many of the lines we recognize today as classics either did not start out that way or were "mega-mergers" themselves through purchase or takeover of other, smaller systems. Examples of these companies include the New York Central, Reading, New Haven, Atlantic Coast Line, Missouri Pacific, and many others. In truth, there were actually few now well-known systems that constructed much of their own network or key main routes; it was much less costly to simply purchase smaller lines. In general, many fallen flags gained their names during either the late 19th or early 20th centuries. A few, like the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio system were not created until the 1930s. In any event, today nearly all of those classic railroads, now fallen flags, are gone except for just a few (the Union Pacific is perhaps the most notable along with the Kansas City Southern and the Canadian roads Canadian Pacific and Canadian National), although their legends and names will always live on.
Buffalo Creek & Gauley Railroad Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railway Canadian National Railway (This railroad is still operating, it is placed here because of its long and storied history.) Canadian Pacific Railway (This railroad is still operating, it is placed here because of its long and storied history.) Central Railroad of New Jersey (Jersey Central) Delaware, Lackawanna & Western (The Lackawanna) Long Island Rail Road (This railroad is still operating but is placed here because of its historical significance.) Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad New York, New Haven & Hartford New York, Ontario & Western Railway Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
Florida East Coast (FEC) (This railroad is still operating, it is placed here because of its long and storied history.) Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac
Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railroad Belt Railway of Chicago (This railroad is still operating but is placed here because of its historical significance.) Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railroad Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (The Burlington Route) Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific (Rock Island) Chicago, South Shore & South Bend Railroad (This railroad is still operating but is placed here because of its historical significance.) Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific Railway Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Indiana Harbor Belt (This railroad is still operating, it is placed here because of its long and storied history.) Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad Kansas City Southern (This railroad is still operating, it is placed here because of its long and storied history.) Lake Superior & Ishpeming (This railroad is still operating but placed here because of its historical significance.) Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (The Nickel Plate Road) St. Louis Southwestern (The Cotton Belt) Toledo, Peoria & Western (This railroad is still operating but is placed here because of its historical significance.)
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (The Santa Fe) Denver & Rio Grande Western (The Rio Grande) Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT or Katy) Saint Louis-San Francisco Railway (The Frisco) Union Pacific (This railroad is still operating, it is placed here because of its long and storied history.)
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific (The Milwaukee Road) The Milwaukee Road's Pacific Coast Extension Spokane, Portland & Seattle (SP&S) Railway Express Agency (The REA was not an operating railroad but was an integral part of the railroad industry during the "golden age" when all of the classic systems were in operation.) Lastly, for a guide to the historical societies keeping alive the memory of most of the fallen flags covered above, plus many others, please click here.
(A deep thanks to the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University for allowing Ron Nixon's historic collection of the fallen flag railroads to be featured here. Please note that the photos featured on this page feature their corresponding image number so that you may quickly and easily find more information about it from their website. To view Ron Nixon's entire collection please click here.) Share Your ThoughtsHave your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. Please note that while I strive to present the information as accurately as possible I am aware that there may be errors. If you have potential corrections the help is greatly appreciated. |
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